500.A15A5/512: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Bingham) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 24—12:40 p.m.]
535. My 530, October 21, 5 p.m.81 An official invitation received today from His Majesty’s Government, in view of the express provisions of article 13 of the Washington Naval Treaty and of the corresponding article of the London Naval Treaty, for a conference to meet in London on the 2d of December. I am requested to state as soon as possible whether the United States Government is prepared to be represented at the proposed conference. Text by the pouch.
The last paragraph of the invitation reads:
“I have the honor at the same time to suggest that it may prove convenient to all concerned and may serve to keep the size of each delegation as small as possible if Your Excellency’s Government and the Governments of France, Italy and Japan were to be represented by their Ambassadors in London. It would furthermore be very desirable that there should be present at the conference from the outset naval representatives or advisers of sufficient rank to speak authoritatively on behalf of their respective Governments.”82
Foreign Office has already informed press that these invitations have been issued to the treaty powers. I understand that the Italian and French Governments will be sending representatives for bilateral discussions in the early future.
- Not printed.↩
- For full text of the invitation, see Foreign Relations, Japan, 1931–1941, vol. i, p. 278.↩